TRON Lightcycle Run Rumor Tracker

TIMEFRAME

Mid-Late 2021

RUMOR STATUS

Confirmed

A new TRON roller coaster will be added to Tomorrowland inside the Magic Kingdom called TRON Lightcycle Run. The attraction is expected to be identical to the Shanghai Disneyland attraction with a slightly different name: TRON Lightcycle Power Run. The attraction will be placed North of the Tomorrowland Speedway and next to Space Mountain.

As part of this new attraction, the Tomorrowland Speedway was reconfigured and may undergo a more substantial thematic changes. Concept art shows a new pathway beginning at the Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. and extending to Storybook Circus.

The Walt Disney World Railroad will also suspend operation beginning December 3, 2018 as part of the construction. The Railroad is expected to be closed until at least early 2021.

The below video of the Shanghai attraction is used with permission from the YouTube channel SoCal Attractions 360. These videos are in 4K or 1080p resolution for peak quality.

The Tomorrowland Speedway to Undergo Changes Rumor Tracker can be found here.

RUMOR TIMELINE

May 5, 2020: On Disney’s Quarter 2 Fiscal Year 2020 earnings call, Disney Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy stated the company’s plans to reduce capital expenditures during the Covid-19 pandemic. McCarthy stated that capital expenditures for the parks and resorts would be reduced by $900 million by way of pausing refurbishment and construction projects.

Details of specific projects that may be subject to delay or cancellation were not stated, but construction on all ongoing Walt Disney World projects was suspended shortly after the park closure in March.

Tron Lightcycle Run is not expected to be cancelled, but the project will likely be delayed until later in 2021.

February 12, 2020: BlogMickey.com is reporting that internal refurbishment schedules for the Walt Disney World Railroad indicate that it will remain closed until early 2021.

January 6, 2020: On Episode 251 of the Unofficial Guide’s Disney Dish Podcast, Jim mentions that there is an internal push to have soft openings for TRON Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind as early as December 2020.

December 24, 2019: BlogMickey.com is reporting that the Walt Disney World Railroad is listed as “Closed for Refurbishment” through December 18, 2020.

December 16, 2019: Disney installed a photo op and two attraction vehicles for TRON Lightcycle Run near the Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. shop. WDWNT.com posted photos of the new area.

November 25, 2019: The Disney Parks Blog shared video of the final track piece being installed for TRON Lightcycle Run earlier this month.

November 4, 2019: The final track piece of TRON Lightcycle Run is in place. BlogMickey.com posted photos of the installation.

October 22, 2019: Track supports for the exterior section of TRON Lightcycle Run are starting to appear. BlogMickey.com posted photos of the construction.

August 23, 2019: WDWThemeParks.com posted a Day 1 update from the D23 Expo that featured concept art, cast member costumes and the ride vehicle from TRON Lightcycle Run.

August 22, 2019: At the media preview for the D23 Expo the official name for the attraction was revealed as TRON Lightcycle Run.

July 1, 2019: BlogMickey.com is reporting that vertical construction has begun on the TRON show building near one of the attraction’s break runs.

June 18, 2019: The TRON attraction has completed the track construction for the indoor gravity building. Track construction is shifting to the outside covered portion and the load/unload area. BlogMickey.com posted a photo update of the construction.

May 18, 2019: The Tomorrowland Speedway reopened from refurbishment. WDWMagic.com user marni1971 is reporting that the attraction is likely to close again next year for a retheme as well.

May 16, 2019: The first steel support columns have been installed at the TRON attraction in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. The Disney Parks Blog shared a video of the construction process as well as photos of a single column that was signed by many Magic Kingdom cast members.

March 14, 2019: The Disney Parks Blog confirmed the OrlandoParksNews report about Magic Kingdom cast members signing one of the first support beams for the Tron attraction.

March 11, 2019: OrlandoParksNews.com is reporting that Magic Kingdom cast members will be able to sign a steel support beam that will be used as part of the Tron attraction from March 12-14th. This is indicative of the structure likely going vertical in the next month or two.

December 6, 2018: WDWMagic is reporting that Cast Members have advised guests at the Main Street USA station that the Walt Disney World Railroad will be closed for 2 years.

November 26, 2018: The Walt Disney World Railroad is expected to close for refurbishment on December 3, 2018 with it’s last day of normal operation on December 2, 2018. The reopening date is unconfirmed.

October 4, 2018: WDWMagic.com is reporting that the Tomorrowland Speedway refurbishment will run from January 2, 2019 through May 17, 2019 and the attraction will reopen with a reconfigured layout on May 18, 2019.

October 3, 2018: KennyThePirate.com is reporting that Tomorrowland Speedway will close for refurbishment on January 2, 2019.

August 10, 2018: The Disney Parks Blog posted an update on the TRON attraction coming to Tomorrowland. A new billboard for the attraction is now visible inside Storybook Circus and along the tracks for the Walt Disney World Railroad.

Beginning in December 2018, service along the Walt Disney World Railroad will be suspended and guests can view and take pictures in front of the trains inside the Main Street USA station. In addition, the Tomorrowland Speedway will close in early 2019 to redesign the track layout. It is expected to reopen in Summer 2019 under the same name.

@BlogMickey on Twitter posted photos of the new billboard visible in the park.

February 16, 2018: BlogMickey.com posted a photo update of the land clearing for the TRON attraction.

Februray 6, 2018: Construction has begun on this project.

February 2, 2018: BlogMickey.com is reporting that construction for the TRON attraction is expected to begin on February 6, 2018. The permit also lists an expiration date of August 16, 2021. The final date is typically an estimate and extensions are possible (as is completion before the final date).

January 29, 2018: On Episode 127 of The Magic Weekly YouTube show, Brayden shows images and posts from the private Instagram account of an alleged Imagineer on multiple projects. One such post indicates that an original concept for the TRON attraction included a Flynn’s Arcade retheme of the Tomorrowland Light & Power arcade. Additionally, a subsequent post indicated that the attraction will be slightly longer (a few meters) than the Shanghai version.

November 24, 2017: WDWMagic,com user marni1971 is reporting that the price for the TRON attraction has a budget between $350-450 million.

November 20, 2017: WDWMagic.com user danlb_2000 is reporting that Disney has filed a water management permit for work related to the TRON attraction. The placement of the attraction is East of the Tomorrowland Speedway and North of Space Mountain.

July 15, 2017: At the 2017 D23 Expo, Disney officially confirmed that a TRON Attraction will be added to Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. The attraction is expected to be identical to TRON Lightcycle Power Run from Shanghai Disneyland and will be placed North of the Tomorrowland Speedway and next to Space Mountain.

While it does appear that the Tomorrowland Speedway will be reconfigured, it does not appear that it will be removed. Concept art shows a new pathway beginning at the Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. and extending to Storybook Circus.

While no specific date has been given, the attraction is expected to be open by 2021.

July 10, 2017: WDWMagic.com user marni1971 is reporting that the TRON Lightcycle attraction will not be replacing the Speedway but will be added “behind” the Speedway and the full explanation will be revealed at the D23 expo. He indicated in a later post that a new theme is likely for the Speedway.

July 10, 2017: WDWNT.com is reporting that the TRON Lightcycle attraction from Shanghai Disneyland will replace the Tomorrowland Speedway by 2020/2021 and it will be officially announced on July 15th at the D23 Expo.

March 19, 2017: On Episode 123 of the Unofficial Guide’s Disney Dish Podcast with Jim Hill, Jim and Len discuss the possibility of the TRON Coaster from Shanghai Disneyland replacing the Tomorrowland Speedway. This would be done for the 50th Anniversary of the park in 2021 and largely be contingent on the success of TRON 3, should it get made.

January 26, 2017: WDWMagic.com user marni1971 has reported that there are several proposals for changing the Tomorrowland Speedway but none of them have been finalized.

Overhaul and overlay the existing attraction

Radically alter and overlay the concept but change it.

Radically alter and overlay the concept but change it as part of a bigger project

Fully remove the existing attraction for something new

October, 20, 2016: WDWNT.com listed a series of rumors, one of which involves the TRON Lightcycle ride from Shanghai Disneyland being reproduced in Tomorrowland.

WDWThemeParks.com is an aggregator of Walt Disney World information, news, and rumors. Our goal is to provide accurate information on all aspects of Walt Disney World.
If you have any additional information, comments or criticisms about this page, please contact us at info@wdwthemeparks.com.